CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Announce Winners Of The Imagination Awards

The award-winning West End production of Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY today announced the winners of The Imagination Awards, a national competition to encourage and inspire young people to embrace their creativity and the power of the imagination.

Hundreds of budding inventors, aged 5-15, from across the UK, submitted their inventions for a solution to a problem in the world around them, while aspiring theatre designers, aged 13-21, created original set or costume designs for a chance to win a VIP visit and behind-the-scenes experience to the hit West End show.

The winners are seven year old Tom William Bauss from North London who invented the Super Float Boat, an unsinkable vessel to help with the current refugee crisis and to stop people getting wet at sea.

10 year old McKenzie Cameron from Loughton, Essex won the judges' vote with the Memory Maker - an edible sweet wrapper to trigger precious memories for a forgetful grandparent.

And 13 year old Stephanie Wong from Barking impressed with The Next Level, a device which creates new platforms in any space at the touch of a button.

The Young Theatre Designers Award also received many fascinating, inspiring and creative entries across two age categories, 13-18 and 19-21, for set and costume design.

The winners for costume are announced as Kathryn Weaving, 18, of Scotby whose David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix-inspired designs caught the eyes of the judges, and Aidan Biddiscombe, 20, of Swansea, for his Victorian and sixties-fused creations.

The winners of the set design category are Dora Furnival, 17, from Stroud in Gloucestershire for her quirky and shabby chic Bucket Shack model, and 20 year old Sophie Cowdrey from Havant, Hampshire who also created a home for the Buckets, inspired by period cottages and popular culture.

Entries came in many different forms including pictures, stories, and even short films for Charlie's Challenge which invited creations from three age categories, ages 5-7, 8-11 and 12-15. The three winners each receive an Imagination Pack full of prizes to encourage invention and creativity, plus a VIP trip to London to watch CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.

As the school that submitted the most entries with nearly 200 submissions, Risdene Academy in Northamptonshire has won a visit and talk from judge and the Science Museum's Inventor In Residence, Mark Champkins, plus a story-telling workshop.

The Young Theatre Designers Award winners each win a VIP trip to London to meet with the creative team, see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and experience it from backstage, getting an exclusive look at how the world of Roald Dahl's much loved story is brought to life on the West End stage.

The full winners and shortlist entries are available to view at www.imaginationawards.co.uk

Charlie's Challenge was designed to be inclusive for all young people. The award encouraged creativity in the classroom, and championed invention and imagination as valuable skills for any future career. The production created resources to help unlock the doors to the world of theatre, and to showcase opportunities in the arts that exist for young people interested in the process of theatre making and design.

The Young Theatre Design Award looked for those who have already experimented with set and costume design, and also sought out aspiring artists and those with relevant skills who have not yet considered a career in the theatre industry.

Since opening in 2013, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has offered teachers numerous ways to explore the show through an educational 'Page-to-Stage' resource that includes activities and exercises for students to bring the musical to life in the classroom. January 2016 has seen the launch of the new official Charlie and the Chocolate Factory school workshops in the areas of drama, singing, dance, musical theatre and storytelling.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has also provided 15 one-week paid backstage work experience placements and three eight-week paid internships through the Golden Tickets scheme, part of Warner Bros. Creative Talent, a programme of investment in skills and training for the UK creative industries.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory presented its first 'relaxed performance' on 19 January 2016. Presented in association with Mousetrap Theatre Projects, the relaxed performance was aimed at families with one or more children with special needs. It was designed to provide an opportunity for people with autism, learning difficulties or other sensory and communication needs, who require a more relaxed environment, to enjoy the show.

www.CharlieandtheChocolateFactory.com

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5JF

Booking until January 2017

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